Improvement in fire-escapes



'11. 1:". STEVENSON. Fire-Escape.

Patented Nov. 13, 1877.

N- PETERS. PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. STEVENSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN Fl RE-ES CAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,059, dated November13, 1877; ap lication filed September 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TEoMAs F. STEVENSON, of the city of Brooklyn, Stateof New York, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which thefollowing is a specificatlOn:

Numerous fire-escapes have been made in which tubular and other rungsare employed.

My present invention is for connecting metallic tubular rungs in a verystrong and reliable manner, so that the ladder may fold up into a smallcompass, and be ready for instant use.

I make use of wires passing through the tubular rungs and bent to formparallelograms or oblong frames, extending from one rung to the next,the wires passing through the respective rungs, so as to act similar tohinges in folding up the ladder into a compact form.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a section illustrative of the manner ofconnecting this ladder to a window-sill, and Fig. 2 is a fl'ontelevation.

The rungs a a are metal tubes, and they are connected by the oblong wireframes b I), such frames being made complete and independent of eachother by twisting or otherwise securing the ends of the wires togetherin each frame. The top part of one frame and the bottom part of theframe next above pass through each rung. The wires, however, are notconnected, so that each frame can be folded against the next when theladder is being packed for transportation, or for stowing away beneaththe window-sill or in any other convenient position.

It will generally be preferable to have a removable panel below thewindow-sill, to inclose the ladder in a box formed at this place; andthe ladder will, by preference, be attached at or near the floor, and bethrown out of the window and rest upon the sill and, in order that therungs at the sill may be convenient for grasping, it is preferable tomake use of disks or hubs'e to raise the rungs off the sill, and at thesame time prevent the wires fiom coming into contact with thewindow-sill.

It will be apparent that each wire flame.

may be made of one wire of suflicient strength, with the ends united, orthat two or more wires may be used in each frame, wound together or inthe form of Wire rope. The wires near the window should be thestrongest.

I claim as my invention The fire escape ladder composed of metal tubesand independent wire frames connecting such tubes, the wires of twoframes passing through each tube, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 10th day of September, A. D. 187 7.

THOS. F. STEVENSON.

